sallysimmons

cheers, I remember when you showed us photos of your current house - it was massive and very beautiful. Would you really be OK moving down to something like this? It seems like it would be a big change.

cheers

The current house is too big for our needs although my dw loves it.
Whether it is cars or homes I seem to always want to move on.
Those homes I have posted look so cosy and inviting and they are in areas that are very inviting. Does this sound vague?

Cheers

christmasoompa

Some of them look cosy and inviting, some of them are horrid 1960's ex-council houses on an estate - not my idea of cosy or inviting personally!

cheers

I agree on that. When I look at the street view I can be turned off.

I've moved on to looking at senior housing but that has a down side. They are cheaper and as others have said you don't have to be weighed down by the fellow inmates

Cheers

cheers

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-23060165.html

or this one

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-16280637.html

Editha

I hope you don't mind me butting into this long running thread.

Be wary of retirement homes and sheltered housing. They can appear cheap, but that's usually because they have high maintenance charges. Often the contract is geared to go up by a fixed percentage each year, e.g. 5%, which isn't too bad if you only live another five years, but if you live another 25 it may impoverish you. I know many people who regret buying housing of this type.

cheers

Thank you for your input.
I usually watch out for the maintenance charge which is usually high and offsets the low price.
Different strokes for different folks.
Today I'm looking at rentals. They seem to fit my need (I'm fickle)
Thanks
Cheers

Pistolpete2

It's amazing how the Daily Mail can make certain posters completely blind to the content of certain articles when it doesn't fit with their own personal biases. As a result, the message in the content which could actually have been quite interesting and even valuable is hijacked and rendered useless by outside noise. There is a good reason why some of us no longer post.

This thread was at one time full of useful tidbits about places to return to and be content in but it has died a death through lack of contributors.

There is an article regarding expectation of life in UK regions which supposedly has been duplicated to some extent across the nationals and even local newspapers, the latter for obvious local interest reasons.

The article is based upon a detailed study carried out by a firm of actuaries for their own business ends as they need to know how location of pensioners impacts upon expectation of life and therefore their funding costs associated, in particular, with final salary pension schemes.

"In the tables, comparisons of life expectancy at 65 assume an annual occupational pension in a medium band (around £13,500 for men and £6,500 for women on average) and a pension scheme industry sector that is not basic materials, retail, finance or technology."

This seems to suggest that it is not about rich or poor but rather something like Mr and Mrs Average.

However, from my perspective, most of the low expectation of life towns were already well known for this fact, particularly those West of Glasgow. The article lists Dorset as being favoured for life expectancy. Further research shows that Dorset in particular is extremely pro-active when it comes to seeking the best ways to provide support services for the aged.

Of course retirees in other parts of the UK know that Dorset and Devon are accommodative to their specific needs as well as admirable parts of the country in their own right and the influx, plus second-homers, can indeed affect property prices in some areas negatively, particularly in coastal areas around Lyme Regis and Christchurch plus inland Wimborne.

Here is the report:

http://www.towerswatson.com/united-kingdom/press/6915

sallysimmons

Pete, are you referring to my comments in another thread? It's hard to tell as you seem very angry but don't address anyone specifically.

If you were referring to me, I'm sorry to have made you so angry. It was just my opinion and being angry definitely won't help with a long life

Have a lovely day

bandrui

Hi PP2, What a nice surprise.

Indeed, if life expectancy correlated to the wealth of an area, the wealthiest places in the UK would have the longest life expectancy, which just isn`t true. In fact, were we to seek out the longest living person in the world, I`m willing to bet it would be someone in a remote poor area of China who sips Jiao-gu-lan tea daily.

It is good to know which areas of the UK are proactive in the care of seniors since I am going to be one soon.

Editha

Some of my ancestors were from Dorset, and they were extraordinarily long lived, despite being just peasants. Their descendants are long lived too, despite living elsewhere in the country. I think there might actually be a gene for longevity in the west-country population.

Pistolpete2

Let's move to Beaminster, Dorset:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012...minster-dorset

Weymouth:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012...eymouth-dorset

Totnes:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012...o-totnes-devon

Cornwall - undiscovered:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012...-head-cornwall

Bridlington:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012...ding-yorkshire

Grassington: (did this come up before?)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012...ale?intcmp=239

cheers

Pete,

Glad you dropped by because I was thinking of you and Kent.

We have been looking at Kent and find it a very attractive place. We are going to get a cottage self catering down there. IMO it is different than the rest of England and I know that's what you have been preaching all along to deft ears apparently.

Cheers

Pistolpete2

Hi Cheers,

Indeed Kent has quite a good variety of things on offer to cater to varying tastes whether as a visitor or resident, particularly retired resident. Certainly has its plusses! Is a bit short on good value places to stay so self-catering sounds good.

Good London (High Speed rail service) and Continental (Eurostar) access. If you are using Canterbury as a base and don't want to use a car, you can very easily get to Margate, Broadstairs, Ramsgate or Faversham and even Rye in Sussex by rail on cheap day return tickets.

It's Charles Dickens country - Rochester & Broadstairs.

There's plenty of history, particularly for those interested in associations with Henry Vlll. Then of course there's Canterbury and Thomas a Becket and the Pilgrims plus St Augustine.

Castles at Dover, Walmer, Saltwood (not open to the public), Rochester, Chilham, Leeds & Hever plus Penshurst Place and Knole Park in Sevenoaks and Ightham Mote a few miles east. Also Mereworth Castle sometimes opens for guided tours.

Roman remains at Richborough and Reculver plus Lullingstone, again near Sevenoaks.

Celebrated gardens at Sissinghurst and Scotney.

Kent is the Garden of England so there's extensive fruit and hop growing. National Fruit Collection at Brogdale. Good range of Farmer's Markets.

A couple of enjoyable seaside resorts such as Whitstable, Ramsgate and the more sedate Broadstairs. Tunbridge Wells.

Attractive small towns such as Westerham, Sandwich, Tenterden and Cranbrook. A multitude of unspoiled historic villages. Faversham for its independent brewery and brewery tours.

Spooky Dungeness and the legend of Doctor Syn plus the RHD Light Railway and some very decent local fresh fish & chips (see also Ramsgate).

The beauty of the North Downs for walks and vistas and The Pilgrim's Way. There really is an awful lot of beautiful open country when away from the Medway towns - considering how close one is to London.

A great selection of ancient and more modern pubs supported by a thriving local micro brewery industry. Some in the Biggin Hill area have Battle of Britain pilot mementos.

Does it sound like I'm a fan?

sallysimmons

I love those Guardian articles, but no one move to Grassington!

It's the first available town for those traveling into the Dales national park from the south (Leeds, Bradford, Skipton etc) and from the East (Harrogate, York etc.) and it's the tourist destination of choice for all those people too lazy to go somewhere and walk. You know, the ones who want to drive somewhere, get out of their car, take a few snaps, have an ice cream and then go home again.

Consequently it's as busy as Trafalgar Square on a nice day (only a slight exaggeration) and the traffic in and out is hellish. It's in a lovely spot, but we avoid it even for days out. I can't imagine what it would be like to live there.